Statement on the fire at Northfield Manor House 31.07.14

Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Principal of the University of Birmingham, said: “We are deeply saddened that the historic Manor House, which the University bought from the Cadbury family in 1953, has been severely damaged by last night's fire.

“We are extremely grateful to the Fire Service and others who worked tirelessly to get the fire under control, make the area safe, and ensure no one was injured.

“The Manor House was used by the University as a student residence until 2007. It was awaiting planning approval from the City Council to be sensitively converted into flats as part of a wider redevelopment of the site. The site, including the Manor House, was boarded up to prevent access and the University employed an external security company to provide 24/7 monitoring of the site.

“The University retains its desire to keep the structure of the Manor House but now needs to properly assess its condition. We are working with engineers and the local authority building control to understand the level of damage, make the structure safe and secure the site.”